Ring spinning machine for spinning a sliver directly into yarn



Jan. 16, 1962 A. RAKHORST RING SPINNING MACHINE FOR SPINNING A SLIVER DIRECTLY INTO YARN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1959 INVENTOR A berl'us Pak/mrsf gym ATTORNEYS 1962 A. RAKHORST RING SPINNING MACHINE FOR SPINNING A SLIVER DIRECTLY INTO YARN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14. 1959 INVENTOR A lb WD: Ralf/ ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent 1 Office Patented Jan. 16, l$62 RENG SPINNING MACHRNE FOR SPINNING A SLEVER DHRECTLY INTO YARN Alhertus Ralrhorst, 150 de Joncheerelaan, Nijverdal,

Netherlands Filed Dec. 14, I959, Ser. No. 859,524 Claims priority, application Netherlands Dec. 22, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl. 51-36) This invention is relative to a ring spinning machine for spinning a sliver directly into yarn.

Because of the omission of intermediate process steps, the direct spinning of a sliver into yarn presents an important economy for the yarn manufacturer. However, a drawback of the known methods for direct spinning is the necessity to use high draftratios and the need for more floor space. According to a known method the sliver cams are arranged beside the ring spinning machines and the sliver is fed to the drafting rolls via guide rails which bridge the gangway between the row of sliver cans and the ring spinning machine. To prevent frequent breaking of the sliver on its way from the sliver can to the drafting rolls, it is necessary to use relatively heavy sliver, which implies that the draft ratio for obtaining a normal yarn count must be high. Since high draft. mechanism is rather complicated, many manufacturers hesitate to switch to direct spinning and accordingly the object of the invention is to provide a ring spinning machine for spinning a sliver directly into yarn without having to revert to high draft ratios. Another object of the invention is to obviate the necessity of reserving a relatively large space for the rows of sliver cans between the spinning machines.

According to the invention, a ring spinning machine for spinning a sliver directly into yarn is characterized in that the machine is provided, near each set of drafting rolls, with means for supporting and rotating a sliver can, whereas means for twisting the sliver are arranged at or near the top of each sliver can.

According to the invention it is preferred to arrange the sliver cans in at least two rows one over the other on the ring spinning machine.

A sliver can for use on a ring spinning machine according to the invention is characterized in that it is provided with a central hollow pillar having an open lower end, and with a brace fastenable to the can top, said parts being adapted to carry a twisting means having a central guide channel and a lateral discharge opening.

The invention will hereinafter be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away, of a ring spinning machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a sliver can according to the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a view of another sliver can according to the invention provided with a brace for carrying a twisting means.

The ring spinning machine as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings is intended for spinning directly into yarn, a very fine sliver which has so little strength that it can not be handled by a normal direct spinning machine since it would break immediately after leaving the sliver can. Modern high speed drawing frames are capable of producing such fine slivers, but up to the present it was not possible to process such slivers in a direct ring spinning machine.

However, according to the invention the sliver is twisted upon leaving the sliver can, so that it has suificient tensile strength to bridge thedistance between the point in which it leaves the can and the intake point of the draft rolls of the ring spinning machine. Said distance is small, since the sliver cans are carried and rotated by supporting means arranged near each set of drafting rolls of the ring spinning machine. It has been found that a fine sliver needs about one half turn per inch to obtain suflicient tensile strength. In a ring spinning machine in which sliver is directly fed to the drafting rolls, the discharge speed of the sliver from the sliver can is normally about one foot per minute, so that the sliver can needs to be rotated about 6 times a minute to obtain the requested number of turns per inch.

The spinning machine according to FIGURE 1 has a frame, designated as a whole by the reference 1, which comprises transverse frame sections 2, and longitudinal beams, not visible in the drawing, which carry the usual drafting and twisting components of a ring spinning machine in known manner. In a usual way, the ring spinhing machine is composed of two symmetrical halves, FIGURE 1 only showing the left half of the machine. The working front of the machine (left side of FIGURE 1) carries a row of spindles 3, which are fixed in a horizontal extension 4 of the frame 1. The rotatable part of the spindles is provided with a whorl 5, which can be driven from a cylinder 6 through a belt '7. The cylinder 6 is rotatably supported by a shaft is journalled in extensions 9 of the frame sections 2 of the machine. he rotatable part of the spindles is adapted to carry a bobbin 10.

A ring rail 11 extends along the working face of the machine and is adapted to reciprocate along guide rods 12, 13 fixed in vertical position in frame 1. The drive mechanism for the ring rail is of usual construction and is not shown accordingly. The upper left side of the frame it carries the drafting mechanism, comprising the usual sets of lower draft rolls l4, 15, it), which form part of longitudinally extending shafts journalled on the frame sections 2. Said shafts are adapted to be rotated in known manner. A row of draft arms 17 is pivotally fixed to support means 18 attached to the frame 1. Each draft arm 17 carries sets of upper drafting rollers i8, i9, 29 which are spring-biased towards the lower drafting rollers 14, 15, 16. So far the machine is of usual construction and need not be described in more detail.

According to the invention the machine is improved so as to be capable of directly spinning a very fine sliver into yarn, without having to revert to high draft ratios,

by adding means for supporting and rotating a sliver can The frame sections 2 of the near each drafting point. machine carry an upward extension 21, which is provided near its lower end with a longitudinal shaft 22 and near its upper end with a longitudinal shaft 2?. Shaft 22 is driven from the cylinder 6 through a belt or chain 24- an shaft 23 is driven from the shaft 22 through a belt or chain 25. Carrying platforms 26 are rotatably supported in a horizontal part of the frame i and are provided with driving means such as a worm wheel cooperating with a worm fixed to the shaft 22. In like manner carrying eyes 27 are rotatably journalled in a horizontal part of the frame between the extensions 21 and unitary with it are driving means such as a worm wheel 28, cooperating with a worm on the shaft 23. Obviously the rows of carrying means 26 and 27 may be driven in any other known manner.

The carrying platform 26 is adapted to carry a sliver can 29 and the carrying eye 27 is adapted to carry a sliver can 30. According to FIGURE 1 the general construction of the sliver cans 29 and 30 is identical, but this is not necessary.

According to a preferred embodiment, a sliver can for use on a ring spinning machine according to the invention comprises a can body 31, in which is mounted a central hollow open ended pillar 32. The upper end of the hollow pillar 32 is adapted to carry a tubular member 33 to which is fixed a twisting means 34. The twisting means is provided with a central vertical passage 35 and an inclined discharge opening 36 in its side wall is communicating with the central passage 35.

A brace 38 can be removably attached to the upper end of the can body 31 by any known means, e.g. by a pin and slot connection. A central bore is provided in the upper part of the brace, and through this bore may be inserted a carrying hook 39 for supporting the sliver can from the carrying eye 27. Alternatively, a twisting means 34;: may be inserted through the central bore. The twisting means 34a is comparable with the twisting means 34 as it is also provided with a central vertical passage 35 and a communicating inclined discharge opening 36 in its side wall. However, the twisting means 34a is used in upside down position when compared with the twisting means 34. It is also possible to have the twisting means 34a and the carrying hook 39 permanently attached to respective braces 38, in which case the whole of brace and hook or brace and twisting means is interchanged each time a change is necessary.

It is preferred to choose the dimensions of the sliver cans so that at least two rows of sliver cans can be arranged one over the other on the ring spinning machine. This implies that the height of the sliver cans should be smaller than usual, but this presents no difficulties in filling the can with sliver.

The filling of the can according to the invention may be carried out on a normal card coiler. After completing the filling of the can, it is provided with a brace 38 having connected thereto a carrying book 33 or a twisting means 34. 1 dependent on whether the can is to be placed in the upper row or the lower row on the ring spinning machine.

If the can is to be placed in the upper row, the central hollow pillar 32 is provided with a tubular member 33 comprising the twisting means 34. If desired the twisting means 34 may permanently remain on the hollow pillar 32, since it does not impede the filling of the can on the card coiler. The hollow pillar 32 may also permanently remain in the sliver can, since in coiling sliver into a can there is always left free a tubular space in the center of the oan, which is now filled by the hollow pillar 32. Obviously the diameter of the hollow pillar should not be larger than the space normally left free in the center of the sliver can.

For lacing up, the free end of the sliver is taken from the can, it is twisted by hand and inserted in the central passage 35 of the twisting means 34 or 34a, into the inclined discharge opening 36 and, when using the twisting means 34, through the tubular member 33 and the hollow pillar 32 to the bottom of the sliver can.

After placing the sliver can on the platform 26 or suspending it from the eye 27, the sliver is fed to the first set of drafting rolls. In usual manner, the drafting rolls pull the sliver from the can and since the can is rotated, the sliver 37 is twisted by the twisting means 34 or 3411. Although the sliver is very fine, it can bridge the small distance between the contents of the sliver can and the twisting means without breaking. After twisting it has sufiicient tensile strength to be further processed.

The invention is not limited to details of construction as here-in described. It is e.g. possible to have only one row of sliver cans on the machine or to have several rows over each other or beside each other. Moreover it is possible to support a sliver can from which sliver is discharged through the hollow pillar, on a rotating platform having a central orifice. In that case the sliver can need not be provided with a brace. It is also possible to dispense with the hollow pillar in a sliver can from which the sliver is discharged in upward direction. Such possibilities are indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings. The means for supporting and rotating the sliver cans may be embodied in any suitable manner, as long as care is taken that the distance between the discharge point i of the sliver and the intake point of the draft mechanism is not excessive.

The twisting means 34 and 34a may be permanently fixed or may be removable. The twisting means can also be arranged separate from the sliver can, e.g. in a separate support, in which case the twisting means should be driven in the same direct-ion and with substantially the same speed as the sliver can.

As a general indication of the usefulness of the present machine it is indicated that a known machine for direct spinning using a draft ratio of 55 can spin a sliver No. 0.15 into a yarn No. 8. When modified according to the present invention, the same spinning machine using the same draft ratio can spin a sliver No. 0.36 into a yarn N0. 20. Up to the present it was not possible to spin such a fine sliver directly into yarn.

The ring spinning machine according to the invention is useful for spinning cotton and artificial or synthetic fibers.

In the drawings, the invention has been shown as applied to a double front spinning machine, that is a ring spinning machine having a row of spindles on each lateral side of the machine. It will be clear, however, that the invention is also very useful for a single front spinning machine, that is a ring spinning machine having a row of spindles only along one lateral side of the machine. In this case the sliver cans are accessible from the other lateral side of the machine and it is possible to arrange at least three parallel rows of sliver cans on such a machine.

What I claim is:

1. In a spinning machine which comprises a frame and cooperating drafting rollers workably mounted on the frame; the improvement for spinning a very fine sliver into yarn comprising an upper and lower row of sliver cans, said cans of the upper row having lower outlet ends disposed immediately adjacent the drafting rollers, said cans of the lower row having upper outlet ends disposed immediately adjacent the drafting rollers, means rotatably mounting the cans of the lower row at their lower ends, twisting means disposed adjacent the outlet ends of the cans of the lower row, means rotatably mounting the cans of the upper row at their upper ends, and twisting means operatively carried by the cans of the upper row.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said twisting means includes a twisting member having a central axial passage and a lateral discharge opening communicating with the passage.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein each can of the upper row includes a body having a hollow central pillar, a substantially U-shaped brace member attached to the upper end of the can and supported by said means for rotatably mounting the can, and said twisting means being mounted in the upper end of the pillar, said sliver passing through the pillar which has an open lower end forming the outlet end for the can.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein each of the cans of the lower row includes a body having an open upper end, a substantially U-shaped brace member attached to the upper end and having a center portion formed with an opening, and said twisting means being mounted in the opening and forming the outlet end for the can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,064,821 Cannon Dec. 22, 1936 2,736,162 Steinberger Feb. 28, 1956 2,886,939 Wilks May 19, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 515,672 Great Britain Mar. 2, 1938 1,125,856 France July 16, 1956 

